Mutiny at SA Harness Racing Club as financial pressure mounts

Tension over the financial state of SA’s peak harness racing club has reached breaking point as members accuse leadership of acting without authority.

• SA Harness Racing Club members weigh calling in administrators
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A mutiny has erupted within the committee of the state’s peak harness racing club, which is battling against insolvency over debts of $3.1 million.

Four recently-elected committee members of the SA Harness Racing Club (SAHRC) have written to complain about its president Ann Mowday, accusing her of acting without the committee’s authority.

Mrs Mowday has called a special general meeting of the club’s members to decide whether to put the club into voluntary administration – a move she has vowed to oppose.

Committee members Angela Nolan, Des Farrow, Bob Stanley and Lynne Copeland have written to government agency Consumer and Business Services (CBS), asking it to conduct an urgent investigation. It is the latest in a series of requests made by SAHRC members for formal inquiries into the club, particularly its financial management.

Concerns have been raised about a property deal in 2018, to which Mrs Mowday was a signatory, where a developer received the title to club land without paying the full amount of $5.5 million.

The club is still waiting for the remaining $2.4 million to be paid by GIC to help clear its debts. The club has run at a loss for seven years.

In their letter to CBS, the four committee members said Mrs Mowday had called the special general meeting without the committee’s approval, after agreeing to draft a proposal for their consideration.

Mrs Mowday then sent a letter to the club’s 185 members last Monday with proxy voting forms, asking them to vote against putting the club into voluntary administration.

“She sent the notice without informing all committee members and claimed the notice was based on a request (for a meeting) allegedly signed by more than 10 per cent of members,” said the committee members’ letter to CBS.

“At no time during our meeting on March 16 did she make any mention of such a request.”

The committee members also have complained to Harness Racing SA chairman George Fiacchi, pictured, who wrote to Mrs Mowday last month asking for the SAHRC to be put into voluntary administration. Mrs Mowday has so far declined to comply with the request. She did not respond yesterday to requests for comment.